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Long-vanished beavers found living wild in UK's Avon catchment

The Natonal News reported, beavers have been found living wild in the Avon catchment in the Bristol and Bath area, as the long-vanished mammal continues its comeback to England.
Avon Wildlife Trust said monitoring had revealed three generations of beavers in the catchment, including three babies, or kits, born this year.
The wildlife charity said, it marks the return of the species to the area after 400 years and showed they were expanding their range naturally.
Beavers are natural engineers that restore wetland habitats through building dams and felling trees, slowing, storing and filtering water in the landscape, which attracts other wildlife and reduces flooding downstream.
According to The National News, the species was hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century for fur, glands and meat.

But beavers are returning to England and are living wild on the River Otter in Devon, the site of a successful official trial reintroduction, and on other rivers due to illegal releases or escapes.
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They have also been introduced into enclosures in some English counties to help manage flooding and create a habitat for other wildlife.
Government plans are set to give them legal protection in England, and ministers are consulting on applications to release them into the wild under certain criteria.
“A new sighting of wild beavers is extremely significant," said Amy Coulthard, director of nature recovery at Avon Wildlife Trust.
“Beavers are a keystone species and they have an extraordinary ability to change habitats to suit their needs while creating ecosystems for other species to thrive.
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“The presence of this beaver population will support other wildlife and help us to tackle the ecological emergency.”
Ms Coulthard said the origins of the beavers were a mystery, with possibilities including a release that occurred in the early 2000s on the Somerset-Avon border, or even the well-known wild population in Devon.
She said: “We started receiving sightings two years ago, and our subsequent monitoring told us there are three generations of beavers living on the riverbank."
“This suggests they have been happily coexisting alongside humans for some years.”
Avon Wildlife Trust has launched a "30 by 30" appeal to raise £30,000 ($40,605) to help ensure at least 30 per cent of land and sea is protected for wildlife.
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It said money raised would go towards nature recovery projects such as the Avon beavers and the newly appointed beaver management group of various organisations.
The group will monitor the creatures and work with landowners in the catchment to manage the effects of the animals and maximise the benefits they can bring.
Ms Coulthard said the plan was to come up with a comprehensive management strategy for the animals, and that adjustments made to help them, such as creating space around water courses, could help other wildlife, improve water quality and reduce flooding.
She called on government support for landowners to help them and compensate them for any changes that needed to be made.
Source: thenationalnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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